Mark 4
4
The Parable of the Sower
1Again#Mt 13:1–15; Lk 8:4–10 he began to teach#Mt 28:20; Ac 4:2; 2Tm 4:11 by the sea, and a very large crowd gathered around him. So he got into a boat on the sea and sat down, while the whole crowd was by the sea on the shore. 2He taught them many things in parables,#Mk 12:1 and in his teaching#Mk 11:18; Ac 2:42; 17:19 he said to them, 3“Listen! Consider the sower who went out to sow.#Gl 6:7 4As he sowed, some seed fell along the path,#Mk 8:27 and the birds came and devoured#Gl 5:15 it. 5Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn’t have much soil, and it grew up quickly,#Mk 10:52 since the soil wasn’t deep. 6When the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away.#Mk 3:1 7Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it didn’t produce fruit. 8Still other seed fell on good ground and it grew up, producing fruit that increased#1Pt 2:2 thirty, sixty, and a hundred times.”#Jn 15:5; Col 1:6 9Then he said, “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen.”#Is 6:9; Jr 5:21; Ezk 12:2; Mk 8:18; Lk 14:35
Why Jesus Used Parables
10When he was alone, those around him with the Twelve#Mk 11:11 asked him about the parables.#Mk 12:1 11He answered them, “The secret#1Co 2:7 of the kingdom of God#Mk 1:15 has been given to you, but to those outside,#Rm 9:27 everything comes in parables 12so that
they may indeed look,
and yet not perceive;
they may indeed listen,
and yet not understand; #
Mk 7:18
otherwise, they might turn back
and be forgiven.” # 4:12 Other mss read and their sins be forgiven them # 4:12 Is 6:9–10 #
Is 6:9–10
The Parable of the Sower Explained
13Then#Mt 13:18–23; Lk 8:9–15 he said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable?#Mk 12:1 How then will you understand all of the parables? 14The sower sows#Gl 6:7 the word.#Mk 16:20 15Some are like the word sown on the path.#Mk 8:27 When they hear, immediately Satan#Mt 4:10 comes and takes away the word#Lk 6:47 sown in them.#4:15 Other mss read in their hearts 16And others are like seed sown on rocky ground. When they hear the word, immediately they receive it with joy.#Jn 5:43; 15:11 17But they have no root; they are short-lived. When distress#2Co 1:4 or persecution comes because of the word, they immediately fall away.#Jn 16:1 18Others are like seed sown among thorns; these are the ones who hear the word, 19but the worries#1Pt 5:7 of this age,#Lk 16:8; Eph 1:21 the deceitfulness#4:19 Or seduction#Mt 13:22 of wealth,#Mt 13:22; Lk 8:14 and the desires#2Pt 1:4; 2:10 for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.#Rm 1:13; Ti 3:14; Jd 12 20And those like seed sown on good ground hear the word,#Lk 6:47 welcome it, and produce fruit#Col 1:10 thirty, sixty, and a hundred times what was sown.”
Using Your Light
21He#Lk 8:16–18 also said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket or under a bed?#Lk 5:18 Isn’t it to be put on a lampstand?#Rv 1:12 22For there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed,#2Co 4:11 and nothing concealed that will not be brought to light. 23If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen.”#Mk 4:9 24And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear. By the measure#2Co 10:13 you use,#Mt 7:2; Lk 6:38 it will be measured to you — and more will be added#Lk 17:5 to you. 25For whoever has, more will be given to him, and whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”#Mt 25:29; Lk 19:26
The Parable of the Growing Seed
26 “The kingdom of God #
Mk 1:15
is like this,” he said. “A man scatters seed on the ground. 27He sleeps#Mt 9:24 and rises#Mk 5:41 night#Jn 9:4 and day; the seed sprouts and grows, although he doesn’t know how. 28The soil produces a crop#Col 1:10 by itself — first the blade, then the head, and then the full grain#Lk 16:7 on the head. 29As soon as the crop is ready, he sends for the sickle,#Jl 3:13; Rv 14:14–19 because the harvest#Rv 14:15 has come.”
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
30And#Mt 13:31–35; Lk 13:18–21 he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God,#Mk 1:15 or what parable#Mk 12:1 can we use to describe it? 31It’s like a mustard seed#Mt 17:20; Lk 17:6 that, when sown upon the soil, is the smallest of all the seeds on the ground. 32And when sown,#Gl 6:7 it comes up and grows taller than all the garden plants,#Lk 11:42 and produces large branches, so that the birds of the sky#Mt 24:35; Lk 12:33; Ac 17:24; Eph 6:9; Rv 21:10 can nest in its shade.”
Using Parables
33He was speaking the word#Lk 6:47; Jn 18:32 to them with many parables#Mk 12:1 like these, as they were able to understand.#Jn 16:12 34He did not speak to them without a parable. Privately, however, he explained everything to his own disciples.#Mt 9:10; Mk 10:10; Lk 6:1; Jn 6:3; Ac 6:1
Wind and Waves Obey Jesus
35On#Mt 8:23–27; Lk 8:22–25 that day, when evening had come, he told them, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the sea.” 36So they left the crowd and took him along since he was in the boat. And other boats were with him. 37A great windstorm#Ps 107:25; Jnh 1:5–6 arose, and the waves#Jd 13 were breaking over the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. 38He was in the stern, sleeping#Mt 9:24 on the cushion. So they woke him up#Mk 5:41 and said to him, “Teacher! Don’t you care that we’re going to die?” #Jn 6:27
39He got up, rebuked#2Tm 4:2 the wind, and said to the sea, “Silence!#Mt 22:12; Mk 3:4 Be still!” The wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40Then he said to them, “Why are you afraid?#Mt 8:26; Rv 21:8 Do you still have no faith?”
41And they were terrified#4:41 Or were filled with awe#Rv 11:11 and asked one another, “Who then is this? Even the wind and the sea obey#Mk 1:27 him!” #Jnh 1:10,16; Mk 6:50–51
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Mark 4: CSB
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Marqos (Mark) 4
4
1And He began to teach again by the sea, and a large crowd was gathered to Him, so that He entered into a boat, to sit in the sea. And all the crowd was on the land facing the sea.
2And He taught them much in parables, and said to them in His teaching:
3Listen! See, a sower went out to sow.#See Mat. 13 with its footnotes.
4“And it came to be, as he sowed, some fell by the wayside, and the birds of the heaven came and devoured it.
5“And other fell on rocky places, where it had not much soil. And immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil.
6“But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away.
7“And other fell among thorns. And the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.
8And other fell on good soil and yielded a crop that came up, grew and yielded a crop, some thirtyfold, and some sixty, and some a hundred.
9And He said to them, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
10And when He was alone, those about Him, with the twelve, asked Him about the parable.
11And He said to them, “To you it has been given to know the secret of the reign of Elohim, but to those who are outside, all are done in parables,
12so that ‘seeing they see but do not perceive, and hearing they hear but do not understand, lest they should turn and their sins be forgiven them.’ ”# Isa. 6:9, 10#See footnote Mat. 13:15
13And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then shall you understand all the parables?
14“The sower sows the word.
15“These, then, are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. And when they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.
16“And likewise these are the ones sown on rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy,
17and they have no root in themselves, but are short-lived. Then when pressure or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they stumble.
18And others are those sown among thorns, these are they who hear the word,”
19and the worries of this age, and the deceit of riches, and the desires for other matters, entering in, choke the word, and it becomes fruitless.
20And those sown on good soil, are those who hear the word, and accept it, and bear fruit, some thirtyfold, and some sixty, and some a hundred.
21And He said to them, “Would a lamp be brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not to be put on a lampstand?
22For whatever is hidden shall be revealed, and whatever has been kept secret, shall come to light.#See Luke 8:17
23If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.
24And He said to them, “Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it shall be measured to you, and more shall be added to you who hear.
25For whoever possesses, to him more shall be given; but whoever does not possess, even what he possesses shall be taken away from him.”#See Luke 8:18
26And He said, “The reign of Elohim is as when a man scatters seed on the ground,
27then sleeps by night and rises by day, while the seed sprouts and grows, he himself does not know how.
28“For the soil yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the completed grain in the head.
29“And when the crop is ready, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
30And He said, “To what shall we compare the reign of Elohim? Or with what parable shall we present it?
31“Like a mustard seed, which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth,
32“and when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all plants, and forms large branches, so that the birds of the heaven are able to nest under its shade.
33And with many such parables He was speaking to them the word as they were able to hear,
34and He was not speaking to them without parables. And when they were alone, He explained all to His taught ones.
35And on the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us pass over to the other side.”
36And having left the crowd, they took Him along in the boat, as He was. And other little boats were also with Him.
37And there came a great windstorm, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already being filled.
38And He was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. And they woke Him up and said to Him, “Teacher, is it no concern to You that we perish?”
39And having been awakened He rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.
40And He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you not yet belief?”
41And they feared exceedingly, and asked each other, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”
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